Sweet Dreams
by Sylindara
Summary: Seirin has their own reasons for taking on Akashi Corp's challenge to go down into Limbo and survive. Too bad they don't all have the same reasons. Written for Team Battle and Character Battle 2014 on basketballpoetsociety Tumblr [Dreamshare AU]
1. Prologue

Izuki wakes to the sound of emptiness and images of blood. People who dreamshare for too long don't sleep well. People who dreamshare for too long and have the guilt of leaving someone behind in Limbo – people like that can never sleep well again.

The time on his cellphone is 1.30 in the morning. He could try sleeping again, let the red overwhelm him and drown in his own guilt. Or he could go to the kitchen, where the other sleepless members of their little group are sure to have gathered.

Izuki chooses the third option. Turning the tap on in the bathroom sink and scrubbing his face vigorously. It doesn't help the insomnia, but at least he doesn't feel like he's still drowning in the blood of his dreams anymore.

"So stupid," Izuki tells his reflection in the mirror. "It's not like there was any blood." There wasn't. Just Kiyoshi's stupid smile as he kicks them out of the crumbling dream. There's no reason why falling into Limbo would make you bleed in the first place. It's all metaphors and symbolism. What dreams are made of.

Izuki turns at the feeling of a presence at his back. Mitobe leans against the doorway, a compassionate smile on his face. It's not his fault that it looks just like Kiyoshi's smile.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Izuki knows the answer is no. But he asks. It's important to do so, to remember these little courtesies.

Mitobe shakes his head, then tilts it in the direction of Izuki's room. Izuki is no Koganei, he has no direct link into Mitobe's head. But he doesn't need one for a question so obvious. "Yes, I'm going back to bed. Sorry for disturbing you."

Mitobe's forehead furrows slightly. He turns towards the kitchen with its friendly warm light and the cosy sounds people moving, then turns back to Izuki.

Izuki shakes his head. "No thank you. Not tonight." He smiles helplessly. Meeting up in the kitchen after a restless night is a time-honoured tradition among the Seirin Dream Security Corp. It's a tradition Izuki hadn't had the heart to participate in since Kiyoshi fell into Limbo.

Mitobe twists the corners of his mouth down, but the hand that comes up to ruffle Izuki's hair is soft and kind.

"Thank you," Izuki says again. He heads to his room without a backward glance. He has no right to feel responsible for what Kiyoshi did. No right to feel so betrayed. No right to feel like he should have stopped Kiyoshi somehow. In his bones, he knows that Kiyoshi's actions were for the good of the team. Nevertheless. There should have been something he could have done.


	2. Chapter 1

Kagami comes recommended with high praise from Alex Garcia who, according to Riko's dad, was one of the pioneers in the dreamsharing business before she retired. A student of someone like that is bound to be amazing. Or so Riko hopes.

They need strong people; people who can endure the rigorous conditions of a dream controlled by no one, of the wildness that is Limbo.

As far as she is aware, there are five other groups taking up the challenge to go down into Limbo and survive. Riko doesn't know why the Akashi Corporation is sponsoring something so dangerous – it's not like a family member is in Limbo or anything, Akashi Seijuurou is even in one of those groups taking up the challenge – but it's a good chance for Seirin. Kiyoshi is waiting for them after all.

She is upfront with Seirin's goals when she faces the bunch of new recruits. Three of them are newbies and won't be much use except as assistants for the rest while Hyuuga, Izuki, and Mitobe go down there. The other two though; one of them is Kagami Taiga, who she's already mentally adding to the group. He'll work well with the others – she needs him to. The last one is a slip of a man who says he used to work with Teikou.

Riko knows as much about Teikou as everyone else. That they were the best in the business. That they could get into anyone's head and get anything they want out of it. If it weren't for the legitimacy afforded them by the Akashi Corporation, they'd be long convicted of a myriad of crimes by now. Most importantly, Riko knows that something happened during their last mission that caused them to part and join other groups – not coincidently, all these other groups are the ones going into Limbo.

It's as plain as the nose on her face that Kuroko has his own reasons for going into Limbo. Riko doesn't know why he chose their group instead of one of the others, if he really wants to stay away from the other ex-Teikou people that much. She doesn't care. As long as he's willing to help out with Seirin's objective, she's willing to help him too.

She just wishes she'd thought to ask about Kagami's reasons. Riko should have known something's up that he'd join them as well. But it's too late now. They're on a schedule they can't deviate from. She can only hope the beautiful killer in Kagami's dreams doesn't follow them into the deep.


End file.
